Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that they are not related to his active service or any incident therein. The claim for residuals of a fractured nose is pending as new and material evidence has been submitted.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and finds no evidence to support service connection for these conditions. The heart disability claim is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its relationship to PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and medical records from the veteran's Merchant Marine service. The veteran is also to be scheduled for VA examinations to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA audiological examination and additional development of the record.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of April 1, 2004 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities and did not address the earlier effective date claim.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service, nor is it related to any incident, disease, or exposure during his service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for skin spots is denied. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against this claim as there is no medical evidence showing a diagnosis of skin spots. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss on the basis of aggravation is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his request for an earlier effective date for service connection of a left foot condition. The RO granted service connection for these conditions but assigned the lowest possible disability ratings.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of an increase in disability severity since the initial grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of such conditions during or immediately after service. The Board concluded that any current hearing loss is more likely due to post-service factors.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of the veteran's right shoulder and cervical spine conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are not service-connected, and therefore denied both claims. The initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss remains in effect.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 0 percent, the maximum available. The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus disability is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the highest possible evaluation under VA regulations.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and his military service, including noise exposure. As such, service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board denied service connection for psoriasis of the hands and did not reopen claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, effective from April 3, 2003. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, currently rated as 20 percent disabling.